


Sowing the Seeds of Love

by noellehenry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Eventual Date!, Flowers, Fluff, Gardening, M/M, Plants, Short One Shot, Strawberries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-06-27 17:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19795276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noellehenry/pseuds/noellehenry
Summary: The allotment site is a bigger size than Harry expected. His allotment, or Barbara’s, technically, is number 28a, a half plot. Every plot he passes, is a neat rectangle, divided by grass lanes to separate the plots from each other and to grant every gardener easy access to their allotment. Each plot appears to have some kind of shed in various states; some of them are neat little huts, with cute floral curtains; Harry wants one too. Some are just … sheds. And then there are constructions that can hardly be called sheds, but are honestly just ramshackles; placed at the plot for the purpose of having somewhere to store garden tools.Or a short fic where Harry and Louis share an allotment, but have no experience in gardening. Together they try to transform their plot into a lovely garden.





	Sowing the Seeds of Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short fic to get me back into writing after a lot of health problems. There's no plot, except for the garden plot :-)
> 
> As always, a big thank you to [Sam](https://britpickerhl.tumblr.com) for picking out spelling and grammar mistakes :-) 
> 
> Title from the Tears for Fears' song.
> 
> I've made a rebloggable tumblr post for the fic, if you like the story and want to help me promote the story... it's [here](https://noellehenryfics.tumblr.com/post/186602723506/sowing-the-seeds-of-love-by-noellehenry-rating)

Harry is elated; he recently moved into a tiny flat above the local bakery, where he can hardly stand up straight because of the authentic, but very low beams that come with living in a II Grade listed house. He has bumped his head more times in the past days since he moved in, than in his entire life before. It took him a long time to find a flat in the village, so he’s not complaining, not really, except for the times his head collides with the beams, then he curses himself for accepting a flat that was built for tiny people in the Middle Ages and not a 5ft11 tall young man from the millennial generation. He works as a social worker at the local council situated on High Street. He’d been commuting for months before a flat became available. The other downside of his new living space is that he hasn’t got a garden, not even a balcony to put flowering pots. He’s always pictured himself living in an idyllic cottage surrounded by fruit trees, wild flowers, shrubs and plants and a small patch of grass; unfortunately, that dream is going to have to wait for a couple of more years until he’s earning enough money to afford his dream house and garden. Right now he just needs to find a way to avoid banging his head all the time. Maybe he’ll have to wrap the beams with cotton wool that won’t give him a concussion while he navigates the flat or he’ll have to wear a helmet indoors; tough choice.

Barbara, the owner of the downstairs bakery offered him her allotment at the edge of the village, because she simply doesn’t have time to maintain it. Harry has accepted Barbara’s offer gratefully, and that’s why he is now cycling through the narrow village lanes, greeting people as he cycles past on his vintage bicycle, an old heirloom from his grandfather, and onto the quiet lane that leads him to Rosemary Lane. It’s 9 o’clock in the morning on a sunny day in May and Harry’s really looking forward to getting his hands dirty in the soil.

He places his bicycle against the iron fence, that surrounds the allotment garden, and locks it. He walks through the security gates, armed with his lunchbox and garden gloves. The allotment site is a bigger size than Harry expected. His allotment, or Barbara’s, technically, is number 28a, a half plot. Every plot he passes, is a neat rectangle, divided by grass lanes to separate the plots from each other and to grant every gardener easy access to their allotment. Each plot appears to have some kind of shed in various states; some of them are neat little huts, with cute floral curtains; Harry wants one too. Some are just … sheds. And then there are constructions that can hardly be called sheds, but are honestly just ramshackles; placed at the plot for the purpose of having somewhere to store garden tools. He passes lovely gardens with blooming spring flowers, delicious-looking strawberries and quite a few gardens that are almost empty plots. He assumes, since the beds are in a neat row, that they’ve been planted recently. He passes number 27, where a shed painted in the colours of the Irish flag stands proudly on the edge of the plot. He is greeted, loudly, by a young man his own age, with brown hair and sparkling blue eyes, wearing blue jeans, grey T-shirt and a green cap. He’s leaning on a spade with both hands as he greets Harry.

‘Hi mate. You’re new here?’ The man calls, while he starts digging out of the dry soil, something that looks like a potato plant. The man has an unmistakably Irish accent, which immediately explains the colours of the shed. The man obviously is an Irishman.

‘Yeah, I’m taking over number 28a.’ Harry replies proudly with a smile on his face.

‘Oh? Barbara not coming anymore?’ The man looks up, clearly surprised, he leans on the spade and eyes Harry curiously.

‘No, she doesn’t have time to maintain the plot, she’s too busy with the bakery and all.’ Harry replies truthfully.

‘I’m Niall, welcome to Rosemary Lane allotments.’ The man walks up to him, rubs his hands clean on his jeans and holds out his hand for Harry to shake.

‘I’m Harry.’Harry introduces himself.

‘Your half of the allotment is the neat one, Barbara already removed weeds, so you’re in luck.’ Niall points at the plot next to his’.

‘Who owns the other half?’ Harry looks at the neighbouring plot with a frown; it looks like it’s been hit by a tornado. Fallen branches from the plot’s only tree lie on the ground; weeds, grass and leaves are covering the entire half of the allotment; whoever the owner is, he or she has their work cut out for them.

‘Louis rents it, but I haven’t seen him digging yet.’ Niall replies with a grin as he too glances at the neighbouring plot.

‘I see.’Harry lifts the key of Barbara’s shed from his pocket and opens the padlock. It’s a tiny space full of small pots, a spade, leaf rake, garden rake, trowel, hand bulb planter, buckets, a watering can and other garden tools that Harry has yet to determine what they’re used for. He’s not quite Monty Don yet; in fact, his only gardening experience is helping his mum in their garden when he was six years old; his mum has got the photos to prove it. Tiny Harry picking flowers from the garden and eating strawberries straight from the bush in his red shorts and yellow wellies.

He sets his bag on the old stool in the shed and goes outside, walks around the plot with a hand under his chin while thinking. He’s still undecided what he wants to grow. Perhaps some herbs, kale and carrots… oh and he definitely wants to grow flowers.

‘What are you growing besides potatoes?’ He asks Niall who is still pulling out potato plants.

‘I have lots of vegetables; there are carrots, green beans, kale.’ Niall points to different beds, without plants on show, just … soil. ‘What are you going to grow?’

‘I think I want to grow herbs, a few vegetables and definitely flowers.’ Harry sums up.

‘Hi Niall!’ A muscular man in a white T-shirt underneath a black and red checked shirt walks by. ‘Oh, hi, don’t think I’ve seen you before. I’m Liam, I’m at no.29.’

‘I’m Harry, I’m taking over 28a.’ They shake hands. Liam tells them he’s going to do some digging today, preparing the last bed, get it ready for sowing vegetable seeds.

While both his neighbours are getting their hands dirty, digging and pulling, Harry sits down on the small stool he’s placed outside in front of the shed and starts sketching the allotment on paper, deciding what and where to plant. He’s feeling rather excited about this new challenge. He sketches and measures, determines where the garden has the best sunny spot and where there’s the most shade. He thinks he’s doing a good job, getting started.

When he leaves late in the afternoon, no one has been at 28b.

***

‘’Bollocks! It doesn’t fit.’ Harry mutters. He has been visiting the local nursery, collecting seeds for his plot, but in his excitement he also bought a few young flower plants that he’s placed in a cardboard box on his bicycle, On his shoulder he carries a bag filled with seed packets and dahlia turnips, but he can’t seem to pull the straps firmly, which probably will result in the contents tumbling out of the bag, once he’s cycling. On top of that, he also bought a hydrangea, because it’s one of his favourite flowering plants and he couldn’t resist getting one for his new garden. The hydrangea, he can hold in his left arm, while cycling.

In the end, he manages to take all of his purchases with him on the bike. Cardboard box fastened on the back rack, his bag slung around his neck, leaning heavily against his back while the straps squeeze his shoulder. The hydrangea he holds firmly in his left arm, two packets of seeds are stuck between his teeth. He pushes himself away from the wall he’s been leaning against on the bike and starts peddling; thankfully it’s only a short ride to the allotment garden. When he reaches the gate at Rosemary Lane, he spots Liam who has just placed his bicycle against the fence. Harry calls with his teeth still holding the sachets, making an unintelligible sound that is somewhere between Liam and MMM. It works, because Liam turns around to see Harry almost dropping the hydrangea as he brakes, and immediately tries to place his feet on the ground. Unfortunately, his crotch lands on the top tube of the old bicycle and he cries out some profanities. Liam hurries to catch the hydrangea just in time, before it falls to the ground and he picks up the two packets of seeds that have left Harry’s teeth as he screams in agony.

‘What the fuck?’ Another guy pulls up on a blue bicycle behind Harry and looks at him with his eyes wide. He drops his bike on the ground and hurries to help Harry.

‘Mate, are you alright? That must have been awfully painful.’ The man’s voice sounds concerned. He helps Harry take off his bag and removes the box from the bicycle. Harry slowly breathes in and out. His crotch area is feeling very sensitive and if he ever had thoughts about becoming a father one day, this incident might have reduced the chances of fatherhood quite a bit. With a pained face, he swings his leg over the saddle and pushes the offending bicycle against the fence.

‘Thanks, guys.’He utters gratefully, still wincing while he adjusts his jeans. ‘I’m Harry, by the way. Nice to meet you.’He holds out his hand for Louis to shake. Louis grins sheepishly and looks at his hands as they are holding Harry’s bag and box.

‘I’m Louis. Nice to meet you too.’The man replies. Harry takes his bag from Louis and swings it over his own shoulder and then reaches to take his box.

‘Don’t worry, it’s fine, I’ll carry these to your allotment.’ Louis offers and Liam carries his hydrangea.

‘Harry is your neighbour, Lou.’ Liam says as they walk to their gardens.

‘Oh you are? Damn, Barbara always brought something from the bakery to munch on while we had tea together.’ Louis sighs. Harry looks a little offended. ‘Not that you’re not nice, but you know…. it was something to look forward to while working in the garden.’Louis quickly adds. Liam bursts out in laughter.

‘Mate, I haven’t seen you lift a finger since you came here in January!’

‘Hey, don’t be rude. I don’t know shit about gardening; my sisters should have known when they decided renting an allotment for their older brother was a great birthday gift.’ Louis rolls his eyes.

‘Oh that’s cute!’ Harry exclaims with a smile on his face. His still tender man parts partially forgotten. ‘What a lovely gift.’

‘Yeah, I suppose. I just don’t know what to do with it.’ Louis sighs with a pout on his face.

‘Maybe we can work together? I’m new to this too and since we share the allotment…’ Harry offers generously. He’s so weak when it comes to beautiful boys with blue eyes and firm thighs and Louis happens to have both.

‘Oh, that would be great. Maybe I will get some work done if I know what I’m doing.’ Louis’ eyes light up at the proposal, he seems to be very grateful for the unexpected offered help and Harry can’t help but beam at him. Liam shakes his head in amusement.

At their allotments, Liam immediately starts to work; he is planting cabbages and broccoli today, while Louis and Harry sit down together to organise their combined allotment. Two hours later they have a plan which consists of Harry helping Louis digging and planning his beds, while Louis in return will help Harry sow his vegetable seeds and plant the dahlias. Contentedly Harry gets up and reaches for the can to water the hydrangea and put it in a pot where it needs to stay for the time being, until he’s decided where is the best place to plant it in the garden.

At noon Harry and Louis have sown the vegetable seeds and planted the dahlias using the bulb planter. Louis has fun planting the dahlias with the help of the bulb planter. He’s rather excited about the clever garden tool.

‘I want one too!’ He grins after he’s planted the last turnip. He wipes his hands on his jeans and places the bulb planter back on the shelf in the shed.

They eat their lunch in front of Harry’s shed, Harry on the stool and Louis on a rock that is resting on the edge of the plot, right in front of the shed. Liam has left already; his cabbages and broccoli seeds already safely resting on a bed, covered under a small layer of soil.

‘How come your sisters decided to gift you an allotment?’ Harry asks while they’re soaking up some sun, stretching their legs in front of them after they’ve finished their lunch.

‘They decided that I should eat healthier instead of takeaway or microwave food. Lottie said if I grow veg myself, I might learn to appreciate them. All of my sisters have a small garden where they grow their own crops; they’re all very passionate about gardening. How about you?’

‘I live above the bakery, without a balcony and I love to sit outdoors, so when I mentioned it to Barbara, she offered for me to take over her allotment because she is too busy with the bakery and her newborn grandchild and hasn’t got the time to keep the garden in shape.’ Harry tells Louis. ‘How many sisters do you have?’

‘Five, and a little brother too.’

‘Wow! I only have one older sister; I can’t imagine what it’s like to have five sisters.’

‘It’s loud, lots of pink everything, makeup and clothes.’ Louis sums up grinningly. Harry giggles.

***

They work on their allotment every weekend when their schedules allow and soon the entire plot is transformed into something that resembles a garden. Louis’ side has now neat beds and together they’ve planted carrots, coriander, basil, chervil, fennel, dill, parsley and … pumpkins. Harry loves pumpkins and Louis generously offered part of his plot to plant a variety of pumpkins.

Their least favourite thing about planting the garden is adding manure to the beds to improve the soil. Louis even wrapped a scarf around his nose to stop himself from gagging at the stinky chore. Harry just wrinkled his nose at the smell, but bravely kept adding manure to their joint garden. At first they opted forgoing fertilizing their plot, but after Niall and Liam convinced them they really should, they set themselves to it. Instead of using artificial manure, they went all out and got the fresh variety from a farm near the village, using a wheelbarrow to carry the smelly stuff to their plot. The smell lasted for another two weeks; Liam and Niall were making fun of them whenever they caught Louis and Harry gagging while working at their plot. The smell certainly made working at their garden a little less inviting.

Harry still comes to the allotment site on his bicycle laden with pots filled with herbs, lavender and cuttings of flowers. Liam wonders how he is going to find room for all of his plants.

‘They do grow, you know!’ He comments when he spots Harry walking by with a tray full of pots of mint.

‘It just to make sure we can harvest enough herbs for the both of us.’ Harry reassures Liam. He will not admit that even he has his doubts about where to plant all of these herbs. Louis helps him find empty spots in their joint garden and they’re both very content when these herbs too have found their home in allotment 28.

Their first success are the strawberries; they’re hanging heavily from the plants and are almost touching the ground. Harry parks his bicycle in its usual spot. It’s only 8 o’clock, but already there are other early birds working in their garden. They greet Harry. When he arrives at his plot he sees Louis and two little children picking strawberries in their garden. Louis is holding an enamel bowl, while the children pick strawberries with a little help from Louis.

‘Hi!’ Harry greets them. The children look up with wide eyes.

‘Hi Harry! I brought reinforcements. These two little monsters are my brother Ernest and my sister Doris.’ He points to each child. ‘This is Harry, say hi, please.’

‘Hello Harry!’ The children say in unison. The girl turns to Louis, hands on her little hips.

‘We are not little monsters.’ She tells off her older brother. Louis raises his one empty hand in defence and grins. The girl turns back to help her younger brother picking more strawberries without glancing back at her older brother. Louis mouths ‘Oops’ to Harry. Harry chuckles.

Two hours later they’re sitting together in front of the shed. Harry cleans some strawberries and divides them over four small bowls and then grabs something from his bag.

‘I brought cream! Who wants some?’ The children are quick to hold out their bowls and Harry sprays cream over the strawberries. He looks at Louis and raises his eyebrows in question. Louis grins and he too holds out his bowl.

‘Louis says you are pretty.’Doris says while she pops a strawberry into her mouth. Harry looks up at Louis in surprise. Louis’ cheeks turn a dark shade of pink.

‘Doris!’ He scolds his little sister.

‘Well, you did. I heard you talking to Lottie. You also said that Harry is sweet.’ Doris continues innocently, unaware of the awkwardness she causes between her older brother and Harry. Ernest studies Harry and then shrugs.

‘I like Harry.’He adds while he picks a strawberry from his bowl.

‘Thank you, Ernest. I like you too.’Harry replies, biting back a smile. Louis is burying his head in his hands to hide his embarrassment.

‘You know, Doris. I think Louis is very pretty and sweet too. Do you think I should ask him out?’ He looks at Doris, while he glances briefly at Louis, who now sits straight up staring at Harry with wide eyes and open mouth.

‘Yes, please. Are you boyfriends then?’ She asks curiously.

‘Oh geez, Doris please…’ Louis pleads as he makes a zipping lips gesture to his sister who has no clue what her older brother wants from her.

‘I think that I would like that, but I have to get back to you about that later, okay?’ Harry confides in the little girl.

‘Louis likes to watch movies.’Ernest says helpfully.

‘I’ll keep that in mind, thank you, Ernest.’ Harry can’t help but grin at the little matchmakers.

‘Well, I guess that’s sorted then.’ Louis sighs embarrassed. ‘So much for subtilty.’

‘I think they’re cute and… I’d love to take you out. How about Saturday night? Dinner and cinema?’ Harry smiles shyly.

‘That would be lovely, I’d love to.’


End file.
